a new weather system is pushing through, and more rain means more water to our reservoirs already at their highest levels already in the season in more than 30 years. good evening. i'm dan ashley. carolyn johnson has the night off. let's begin with abc7 meteorologist sand yaw patel. sandhya patel. she is tracking the rain. >> yes, dan, and the rain has made its way around many parts of the bay area. let's show you live doppler 7hd. let's go to the radar and we will show you what it looks i can like. we are tracking the storm around the monterey bay. let's show you where it is

moderate around boulder creek and scots valley and summit road as you cansee here indicated by the yellows. we are seeing some moderate rainfall. and as i pan around to other parts of the bay area, you have to check this out. this is really interesting from cobb mountain to the hills surrounding ukiah and heading down or heading up depending on where you are. look at this, saint helena and we are seeing some pink here in the hills. it is an indication of a mix of rain and snow. of course we are getting the rain at the lower elevations around novato and santa rosa and tib by ron. as i take you down to street level, ignacio and petaluma and san francisco lighter returns although i am getting reports from at dgp1 and coming down from daly city to south san francisco. he is coming down toward the peninsula and toward the east bay. lighter rainfall totals a the

this hour. i will be back to tell you exactly how much rain we will receive, and when it will be safe to put the umbrellas away. dan, a complete look at the forecast coming up. >> sandhya, thanks very much. a tragedy tonight outside the golden gate. two people are dead and a third is rescued. they were all swept into the water off point bonita cove. thomas roman is live with this developing story. thomas? >> officials believe the three victims were actually fishing when they were swept out to sea. there has been a high surf advisory issued earlier this evening that went from san francisco to the mendocino coast. now let's look at the scene from sky 7 earlier this evening. now, this was about 4:30, 5:00. what occurred was at about 4:00 the marin county sheriff's department received a 9-1-1 call that two people had been swept out to sea. now, actually it was three individuals who were swept out. one person managed to make it to shore and flagged down a

car. that car helped him call 9-1-1 and report the location of the individuals. the boat you see is a tiburon fire rescue boat. that boat was on a training mission off the marine head lands. that's when the call came in. they actually were able to take to pick up the small child and the male adult. they brought him here to horseshoe cove at about 5:30. here they were pronounced dead. now the other survivor, the actual survivor was treated and released. the marin county coroner's office is investigating the death. we don't have an idea who the individuals are and if they are related. we will have to get more information from marin county either later this evening or early tomorrow. reporting live in marin county, thomas roman, abc7 news. >> what a tragedy tonight. thomas, thank you. well, no one was hurt in a house fire in san francisco's castro district. it sparked about 7:00 on

26th street near castro. the fire damaged mostly the attic, however a home next door did get some damage as a result. investigators have not yet determined how the fire started. starting tonight authorities are stepping up their efforts to keep drunks off the road. they will keep up the added pressure through new year's. alan wang is live at san rafael where a dui checkpoint was in place for awhile, and then they packed up suddenly, is that right? >> that's right, dan. they were supposed to be here until 2:00 a.m., but they packed it up and went patrolling in their cars due to the rain. the crackdown, however, on dui drivers will continue through new year's day. and there is a lot to be concerned about because the numbers so far are kind of alarming. around the bay area law enforcement agencies are conducting driver's license checks and if needed a sobriety test. >> do what you have to do, but don't drink and drive. >> apparently an extra reminder is needed. during the week before christmas, the chp made a

thousand -- 1,170dui arrests statewide compared to 980 in 2011. fatalities were up more than double during this period. 39 compared to 14 last year. >> you know, i think people are a little more depressed this year. i think they are going out and trying to find a relief for whatever pressures they have. >> ben smith of walnut creek says he has friends who have had to pay the price for a dui arrest. >> it is expensive. i don't know. i am hearing different numbers. the last time i had a buddy it was like 6,000 or something like that. i heard $10,000. >> businesses like the pier15 restaurant and bars say they will call a cab or drive a customer home themselves. they say it is worth it for both patron and customer. >> and that's why we have returning customers all the time. we do care about our customers. >> they are offering water in between drinks. they are saying do you have a ride home? >> and on this new year's eve, she says she is avoiding the

drive altogether. >> on new year's eve we are going to a house party, and we are all spending the night there. >> and the local law firm is providing free cab service in san francisco on new year's eve. also bart will be extending its service on that night with extra trains and personnel. alan wang reporting live in san rafael, abc7 news. >> alan, thank you. in the meantime, a sacramento lawmaker introduced a bill to crackdown on persistent drunk drivers today. it would require an in car sobriety device to start the vehicle. the measure addresses the high rate of drunk drivers who do not modify their behavior after being busted. the most recent statistics show repeat offenders account for 27% of dui arrests and convictions in california. that was in 2009. a driver will face at least two felony charges after he lead oakland police on a deadly chase. it started when officers tried to pull him over for speeding late thursday. one minute later he smashed into another car.

the crash killed a woman and two more people were injured. the driver is now in custody and a second person who was in the car has not yet been found. a lot more to bring you this friday. it is down to the wire big time. the fiscal cliff is really in sight now. >> it is deja vu all over again. >> the president chastising congress to do their jobs, but will they? details on what happened next. and violence against women. the vigil tonight in san francisco for a woman who lived and died brutally half a world away. and live doppler 7hd is tracking the rain and moving into the bay area. meteorologist sandhya patel is up next to show you when the rain will hit your neighborhood and a look ahead to new year's. that's all coming up. and then late other "nightline." >> i'm terry moran. dan, up next on "nightline," they are not rich, but they fly all over the world in first class for free. the extreme methods and secret tips of frequent flier mileage hoarders. and a national memory champion

tonight. he will share his astonishing

senate leaders will work through the weekend to a avoid the fiscal cliff. there are fewer than four days left for taxes to go up for all-americans. the president met with republican and democratic leaders today to discuss a time frame for the next few days. it starts with the senate leaders who are currently discussing the plan. they hope to have a deal ready for review and possible vote on monday. and then it would head to the house. the president says a deal is critical for the country. >> economists, business leaders all think we are poised to grow in 2013. as long as politics in washington don't get in the way of america's progress. so we've got to get this done. >> in the event congress does not get it done, does not make a deal, here is how the physician physician -- the

fiscal cliff could affect you. a middle class family would pay $2,000 more per year. gas prices will likely fall because people will spend less on fuel. you may see longer lines at the airports. budget cuts could leave the tsa with fewer checkpoint and retail prices may fall because declining consumer confidence would push down prices to get shoppers in the stores. we shall see. the clock is ticking. moving on to something very different now. a young woman who was brutally gang raped and beaten in india has died of her injuries. the trauma to her body was too severe to overcome. and now in san francisco and around the world, a growing chorus demanding greater protection for women there. ama is here with the locale effort to force change. ama? >> the woman's name has not been made public, but people in india are calling her damini. in hin de it means lightning. it is planned as a peace vigil in honor of the rape survivor. the group didn't learn she

died until just before the vigil. >> it is horrible. it is very, very sad. >> concerned bay area residents and other organizations gathered in front of the indian consulate for a candlelight vigil in honor of the woman who was gang raped in nu do -- new delhi and died. >> the violence is shocking. >> the 23-year-old was gang raped and severely beaten while riding this bus. indian police have arrested six men in connection with the attack. the crime sparked massive protests in india, and the outrage has spread. >> it is part of an alarming trend of violence against women. >> he is the executive director of a bay area organization working to end domestic violence in south asian communities. she helped organize the vigil to send a message to the indian consulate. >> this is not okay. >> they helped circulate a petition for improved security

for women in new delhi. >> they were equal members of saw sigh -- society. >> the petition was turned over to the consulate. >> we would like to offer the views. >> in return they said the consulate hopes the struggles and sacrifice would not go in vein. >> we are confident that it will prove to be a turning point. >> that's exactly what the group is hoping for. >> it is not something that will happen in the middle of the night, but it is a process. >> the indian prime minister assured his country that the government is committed to bringing the guilty to justice as soon as possible. dan? >> ama, thank you very much. former president george h.w. bush remains in intensive care at a houston hospital. the bush family spokesman says the 88-year-old former president continues to improve. he says the 41st president is alert and as always in good spirits. bush has been hospitalized since november 23rd.

marilyn monroe may have been a sex symbol, but the fbi looked at her as a potential communist. fbi files on the movie star show the bureau was keeping tabs on monroe since 1956 when they received an anonymous tip that money from her production company was making its way to the communist party. monroe was married at the time to play write arthur miller, a member of the communist party. there was no information after her death in 1962 or the bureau investigating the rumors that she had been killed. if you would like especially with these gas prices to be able to drive around on a 100 mile per gallon car, ford has the car for you. the ford fusion will be certified by the environmental protection agency as getting the electric equivalent of 108 miles in the city and 90-- 92 miles on the highway with a combined 100 miles to the gallon. the main rival, the toyota prius plug in gets 95 miles per gallon. a plug in version of the honda

accord has not yet been rated. the ford fusion costs $39,495. whatever car you are driving you will need windshield wipers for the next few hours. sandhya patel is tracking the weather on live doppler 7hd. sandhya? >> make sure the wipers are working as you look at live doppler 7hd. you will see why you need the windshield wipers. our radar combined with the national weather service and monterey bay radar and tracking the storm as is coming in from the northwest has been paralleling the coast. but it is making a more eastward advancement. the winds are in santa rosa and the roanoke park area. from santa rosa to roanoke park and you can see petaluma hill road. we are getting some rainfall and light rain at this hour. and around sfo we are seeing some moderate rain beginning to show up on our observations.

we have lighter rainfall and highway 101 toward san carlos. 31st avenue and head out toward the east bay and you can see crossing the bay bridge seventh street into oakland. some very light rainfall right now and even a few sprinkles. the moderate rainfall has been in the santa cruz mountains and even a little heavy rain is showing up around highway 9. boulder creek and ben low man and heading out toward scots valley. rainfall is a trace of an inch to .17 of an inch, and we will be counting a little more rain than that. temperatures right now in the 40s. there is a chill in the air that is hard to miss. here are the highlights. rain tonight and showers in the morning. snow in the hills. we are seeing a rain-snow mix around mount saint helena. just be aware of the fact that it will be there. it is cold and dry for the afternoon. here is the satellite and the radar. here is the storm system. you notice it paralleling the coast. this system is sliding south. it will continue to do that and head toward southern california. but for the time being we will

keep the rain in the forecast for tonight. and you will see the computer animation switching it over to showers by morning. so watch out for the snow around mount saint helena and the lake county area. as you look here it is pretty widespread. light to moderate rain. mount hamilton by 2:00 a.m., and the air is cold enough, and we will be watching for scatter ited -- scattered showers. you will notice you will need the umbrellas. really the umbrella weather continues at 9:00 a.m. fairfield and cor cord and heading down toward san jose. by the way, san jose just reported a trace of an inch. by 5:00 p.m., it is all pretty much south of here, and it is done. you will see lots of sunshine as well. the rainfall totals, a quarter to half an inch. north bay, north bay mountains, a 10th to a quarter for the rest of the bay area. this is not expected to be a huge storm, but certainly one to watch. and here is why a high surf advisory until saturday at 10:00 p.m. the waves have been building. we are expecting the swells from 10 to 14 feet.

if you are visiting from someplace else check out the waves. keep in mind there could be some strong rip currents with the large breaking waves. could be dangerous so be careful. morning you will need the umbrellas, upper 30s to mid mid40s. you will see a chill in the air, but not as cold as it was. tomorrow afternoon it is cool. partly cloudy, upper 40s to the low 50s. around the monterey bay, temperatures will be in the low 50s. with the rain getting out of your area last. the accu-weather seven-day forecast, frosty cold on sunday morning and monday morning. pretty much dry for those two days. now this is the biggest change i have made to the accu-weather seven-day forecast. new year's eve is now dry. i know dan wants to break out the bubbly. it is the start of 2013. we will bring in rain late again wednesday night to thursday morning. >> breaking out the bubbly is better than breaking out the umbrella. >> make sure to invite colin and i. >> we will be right here. thanks very much. larry beil is off and colin rush is here.

>> big boxing news. >> that's right, major. >> this is really, really good stuff. it is for a guy that we love here. he wanted it, and now he is oh so close to getting it. who he could fight in less than five months. and then on the hard cooed -- hardwood the warriors go for win number 20. that's next in sports.

>> he is making his return to oracle. the former team offering a rude welcome home. we saw a lot of this in his two years here. mcyoung, that belongs to the people in row one. david lee approves. there it is, second quarter and warriors pulling away. seth curry and off the glass. warriors by seven. he had 25 points and 12 boards. more defense and landry time itself and the swat on thadius

young. the defense continued. lee flashing the handles to barnes and warriors up 18. there it is. can he make the free throw? it was a good night. 96-89 the final. warriors are 20 and 10. boston tomorrow night. blake griffin and the clippers. they are taking on the jazz and in case you didn't know griffin has an uh finish tee for that. has an uh finish tee for that. gordon hayward and how is the ankle? he finishes with 29 and 116-114. clippers at oracle. streak at 16 and could booy 17. gilroy's sperrero and he gives him the first loss. the handlers are finishing off the details of the may fourth mega bout at the mgm grand in las vegas. this would be by far the biggest pay day of the -- of his career.

they lobbied for a longtime and now expect an official announcement in the coming days. on sunday dennis alan says he wasn't good enough to be the back up. i guess that doesn't mean he is not good enough to be the starter. alan announcing he will give him his first nfl start on sunday in san diego, and here is why. >> we know what his strengths are. we know what his weaknesses are. to give him an opportunity to go out in a game against a division opponent at their place and give him a chance to play, and it gives us -- it gives us a view into the future. >> why not? they are 4-11. that's a lot of meat. the house of prime rib outing for the 49ers' o line for the house of prime rib has been hosting it for years. one thing is for sure. nobody leaves this thing hungry. >> the offensive line and the food here is perfect. it has always been perfect, and it always will be

perfect. >> ate there a month ago and it was fantastic. this sports report brought to you by river walk casino. >> they can puts that food away. >> i think they ate more than i did. >> they ate their weight. we are tracking the storm moving into the bay area. sandhya patel is

if it is not raining where you are, it will be soon. let's check in with sandhya one last time. >> you will get it. our radar on mount saint helena combining to track the moisture. it is pretty much spregd across the peninsula. there is some light rainfall and becoming moderate around the south bay around san jose and taking you down to street level. the alameda and benson street, we are seeing moderate rainfall around burbank. in the santa cruz mountains you can see the yellows

indicating moderate 20* heavy rainfall. we are see smfg this in the form of mixed precipitation indicated by the pink there. so don't be surprised if you do see some snow over the highest peaks above 3,000 feet. overnight heading into tomorrow morning here is your wake up weather. scattered showers and snow level 3,000 feet. it is going to be on the cold side, but not as cold as this morning. mid30s to mid40s and then upper 30s and upper 40s. dan? >> thanks so much. before we go, a reminder about abc7's gift to you this holiday season. you can download our alarm clock app for your iphone, android phone or tablet and the kindle fire. it is available for those devices and the ipad. check them out when you can. that's all for the moment. i'm dan ashley. thank you for watching. we appreciate your time, for sandhya, colin, carolyn and larry and all of us here, have

tonight on "nightline," extreme mileage hoarders. they're not rich, but they vacation all over the world, all in first class and all for free. we'll show you the extreme lengths they go to to snag free miles and even get them to part with some secret tips. total recall. he is the national memory champ who can memorize a deck of cards in 63 seconds. but to prove it's not a superpower, he shares his astonishing technique with memory mortals. >> look at that! and cliff countdown. with only 72 hours to go until the nation could careen over the so called fiscal cliff, we do the math to tell you how it could affect your bottom line.